god
Seeing Clearly By Way Of Faith
Most of us face a roller-coaster life. We have our ups and downs, our trials and tribulations. We sometimes feel tempted to say things we shouldn’t, and we are sometimes unable to put that chocolate chip cookie down when we know we should.
We live in a world where there are temptations all around us. That little voice in our head tells us to do it, when our intuition says it would hurt us. We are sometimes left conflicted and double-minded.
But when we have faith we act and speak wisely. Faith helps us to choose the path of wisdom and it instills insight. When we choose to think negatively, and turn away from faith, that is when obstacles enter into our life. Continue reading
Winter May Come, But Spring Will Always Follow
The delicate African Violets on my window sill are beautiful this season. The window is the best place for them, as each one soaks up the sunlight from the East. The Sun smiles on them this morning.
The key thing with violets that many people don’t realize is that we hurt them the most by over-watering. Water is a good thing for plants, right? Violets, however, are native to the tropics where heat, sun, and a dry atmosphere is more prevalent.
The unique needs of these violets teaches us how to follow our own path. This is the true beauty of nature. See, each of us is different. When we look around us, we can’t follow someone else’s path, or be jealous, or worried that the path they are following is different from our own. Continue reading
What Did You Give Up For Lent?
You’re out with your friends on a Friday night and suddenly you notice that one of them has switched from his favorite microbrew beer to lemonade? Is it time for Lent already?
Giving up something for Lent sometimes evokes head-scratching in non-Catholics, but what might seem like just another Catholic eccentricity can actually be a practice with deep spiritual significance.
Lent, the period of 40 days that precedes the celebration of Easter, has its origin in the early days of the Church. This year Lent began on March 5th and it ends on April 17th.
Converts seeking to become Christian, who at that time were mostly adults, spent several years in study and preparation. Under the threat of Roman persecution, becoming a Christian was serious business, so their process of preparation was intensive. Then they went through a final period of “purification and enlightenment” for the 40 days before their baptism at Easter. The rest of the Church began to observe the season of Lent in solidarity with these newest Christians. It became an opportunity for all Christians to recall and renew the commitment of their baptism. Continue reading
What Really Matters In Your Life?
It doesn’t matter what your profession is, how rich or successful you are, how attractive you think you are. Some of the most beautiful, caring, thoughtful, compassionate and charitable people are not necessarily wealthy or gorgeous.
God provides for His children in ways that are far beyond anything fame or fortune can provide. Less is truly more.
Instead of hoping to find many friends, who often come with a good amount chaos and drama, which I have no time for, I prefer one good friend, Jesus Christ. God always provides for his children. Less is truly more, especially when you have a Christ-centered life. Continue reading